Sanasam Kunjabihari : A Known Hockey player who participated in Beighton Cup 1963

Seram Neken *

Manipur has a glorious past in the field of Sports. It can well be established from the rare recollections of the veteran players of the state. 'ON THE GOLDEN FOOTPRINTS' reproduces here the sports profile of veteran Hockey player S. Kunjabihari from Ratneshwori Goswami's Akao Parei Chankhrabasing published in the Hueiyen Lanpao (Manipuri).

Sanasam Kunjabihari, the third of the ten children born to Sanasam Nilamani and Tharoshang Devi of Wangkhei Thangjam Leikai Imphal was a one-time Hockey player of the Eastern Sporting Union in Centre-Half and Back positions. He endeared Hockey from the very beginning.

During childhood, he used to play Hockey at Lai Haraopham Lampak at Wangkhei Laishram Leikai. Hockey was by then made from bamboo stem and the ball from the bamboo roots. One time goal keeper of ESU Lourembam Kunjo, the father of Hockey World Cupper L. Tiken, was responsible for Kunjabihari's entry into the ESU Hockey team, as the former was attracted to his performance at a local playground.

In an interview, the veteran Hockey player Kunjabihari recalled that during the early period Eastern Sporting Union covered a large area from Thoubal to Sagolmang and the popular sports clubs during the period were Imphal Sporting Club, TRAU, NACO and ESU. He said that a number of clubs later appeared in various localities. COSMO was established later in order to give room for more players in the nook and corner. He added that Moirangthen Khollei from Khongman, Khwairakpam Bijoy from Kongba, Laishram Ibochou and he himself Kunjabihari were the first Hockey players of COSMO.

A teacher by profession, S. Kunjabihari was a student of CC School who completed graduation from the DM College in 1952. He did his post graduation in Guwahati, from where he participated in various national Hockey championships. In 1957, he joined the Sidni National Championship under the Lebaan Club of Guwahati. On behalf of Manipuri Students Association Guwahati, Kunjabihari participated in the Hockey championships in Shillong along with W. Chura, Longjam Tombi and Laishram Naba.

In 1957, he was selected from Guwahati to take part in the Rangaswami Cup Senior National Hockey Championship held in Bombay. In 1963, he was part of the Manipur Eleven Team participating in the Beighton Cup Hockey along with other players such as A. Ibotombi Sharma, Arambam Lokendro, S. Lokeshwar, Ng. Jugindrakumar, Laishram Nabakumar, Moirangthem Khollei, Longjam Tombi, P. Jugin, T. Gambhirchand and Kh. Manglem.

He took part in the Coaching camp organized by Manipur Sports Association in 1962-63 at Kangla with Naina Kanu of Indian Hockey Federation as the coach. Chongtham Benudhar, Nongmaithem Rebati and Sougaijam Biren were the main organisers of the erstwhile Manipur Sports Association. Kunjabihari mentioned the names of his contemporary players as Thangjam Modhu, Ng. Mani, Longjam Tombi, Ng. Jugindrakumar, GA Basudev, RK Amubisana, S. Lokeshwar and A. Ibotombi Sharma.

In the interview, the 78 year old Kunjabihari narrated the history of Hockey development in the country. First Hockey club of the country was born in Calcutta and later Bombay also formed its Hockey club. As early as 1895, the first Beighton Cup was organized in Calcutta followed by the Agha Khan Tournament of Bombay in 1896.

By 1903, Punjab which began its Hockey movement by mobilizing educational institutions organized the first Open Hockey Tournament under the aegis of Lahore Gymkhana. The game first got the Olympic berth in the 1908 London Olympics.

In the 1928 Olympics, nine countries participated in Hockey and India defeated Holland by 3-0 goals in the finals. Hockey became the national game of India, as the country continuously turned out to be Olympic champions in the game.

The retired academician said that with the establishments of Town clubs in Manipur by 1921, Hockey tournaments began to be organized in Manipur by 1935. Manipuri players began to take part in Beighton Cup Hockey as early as 1948. From 1957 to 1969, Manipuri players actively joined in the Assam Inter district tournaments.

In the 33rd National Hockey Championship (Rangaswami Cup) at Nilgiris (Madras) in 1968, four Manipuri players namely S. Lokeshwar (Captain), Thongam Suni, Longjam Tombi and Madneshore Roy participated. By 1975, Manipur team got its affiliation in the Indian Hockey Federation and the state team participated in the national championship held in Cuttak (UP) for the first time.

Later in 1984, Manipur produced the first Hockey Olympian Shri P. Nilakamal in the Los Angeles Olympics, followed by the second Hockey Olympian of Manipur Ksh. Thoiba Singh in Seoul Olympics 1988.

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